As for his statement, “Some hold that it is eternal, consisting neither of sound nor of letters, but rather of a meaning subsisting in Allah’s essence—these are the Ashʿariyyah,” this is correct. However, the first person in Islam to advance this view was ʿAbd Allāh ibn Kullāb. The early Muslims and the imams affirmed attributes subsisting in Allah Most High, as well as acts connected to His will and power. The Jahmiyyah deny both. Ibn Kullāb agreed with the early Muslims in affirming eternal attributes subsisting in Him, but denied that anything connected to His will and power could subsist in Him.

Abū al-Hasan al-Ashʿarī came after him. He had been a student of Abū ʿAlī al-Jubbāʾī, the Muʿtazilī, but then abandoned the Muʿtazilī position and exposed their contradictions on numerous points. He opposed them so strongly on questions of divine decree, faith, and the promise of reward and threat of punishment that they accused him of adopting the positions of the Murjiʾah, Jabriyyah and Wāqifah. Regarding the divine attributes, he followed Ibn Kullāb’s approach. This position concerning the Quran thus originated with Ibn Kullāb and was adopted by his followers, including al-Ashʿarī and others.

And his statement:

“Concerning anyone who says that the letters and sounds uttered are identical with the eternal speech, those who uphold the truth have two opinions: one declares him an unbeliever, and the other declares him an innovator,”

up to his words:

“Let it be known that letters articulated by the tongue and letters written by the fingers are both subject to his control.”